CDS Eligibility Criteria

What is CDS Eligibility Criteria?

As you are planning to join Indian Army, Navy & Air Force after graduation by clearing CDS Written Exam, SSB Interview & Medical fitness test, then you must check all of the eligibility criteria laid down by UPSC & Indian Army, Navy & Air Force. For your ease, we have summarized all important details like qualification, age, percentage, Physical & Visual Standard below.

Nationality

• a Citizen of India, or
• a subject of Bhutan, or
• a subject of Nepal, or
• a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before the 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
• a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire and Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.

Age

• For Indian Military Academy (IMA) age limit is between 19 to 24 years
• For Indian Naval Academy (INA) age limit should be between 19 to 24 years
• For Indian Air Force Academy (AFA) age limit should be between 20 to 24 years
• For Officer's Training Academy the age limit is 19 to 25 years.

Note: The date of birth accepted by the Commission is that entered in the Matriculation/Secondary School Examination Certificate or in a certificate recognised by an Indian University as equivalent.

Exclusive dates Range for CDS I April 2026

Wing	Born not earlier than	Born not later than	Course commencing Date
IMA	2nd January, 2003	1st January, 2008	Jan, 2027
INA	2nd January, 2003	1st January, 2008	Jan, 2027
AFA	2nd January, 2003	1st January, 2007	Jan, 2027
OTA (Male)	2nd January, 2002	1st January, 2008	April, 2027
OTA (Female)	2nd January, 2002	1st January, 2008	April, 2027

Exclusive dates Range for CDS II Sep 2026

Wing	Born not earlier than	Born not later than	Course commencing Date
IMA	2nd July, 2003	1st July, 2008	July, 2027
INA	2nd July, 2003	1st July, 2008	July, 2027
AFA	2nd July, 2003	1st July, 2007	July, 2027
OTA (Male)	2nd July, 2002	1st July, 2008	October, 2027
OTA (Female)	2nd July, 2002	1st July, 2008	October, 2027

Qualification

• For I.M.A. and Officers' Training Academy, Chennai — Degree of a recognized University or equivalent.
• For Indian Naval Academy—Degree in Engineering from a recognized University/Institution.
• For Air Force Academy—Degree of a recognised University (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or Bachelor of Engineering.

Note: Graduates with first choice as Army/Navy/Air Force are to submit proof of Graduation/provisional certificates on the date of commencement of the SSB Interview at the SSB.

Final Year Students - Candidates who are studying in the final year/semester Degree course and have yet to pass the final year degree examination can also apply.

Marital Status

• For Indian Military Academy, applicants should be- Unmarried
• For Indian Naval Academy, applicants should be- Unmarried
• For Air Force Academy, applicants should be- Unmarried
• For Officers Training Academy (SSC Men) applicants should be- Unmarried
• For Officers Training Academy (SSC Women Non-Technical courses)- Unmarried or issueless widowed or issueless divorcees who didn't remarried

Physical Standard

Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to Combined Defence Services Examination as per guidelines.

• The candidate must be in good physical and mental health and free from any disease/disability which is likely to interfere with the efficient performance of duties.
• There should be no evidence of weak constitution, bodily defects or underweight. The candidate should not be overweight or obese.
• The minimum acceptable height for male candidates is 157.5 cms. (157 cms for Navy and 162.5 cms for Air Force). For Women candidates minimum acceptable height is 152 cms. For Gorkhas and individuals belonging to hills of North-Eastern region of India, Garhwali and Kumaon, the Minimum acceptable height will be 5 cms less. In case of candidates from Lakshadweep, the minimum acceptable height can be reduced by 2 cms.
• The candidates should have sufficient number of natural and sound teeth. A minimum of 14 dental points will be acceptable. When 32 teeth are present, the total dental points are 22. A candidate should not be suffering from severe pyorrhoea.

Note: These concessions are not applicable for Air Force.

Physical Conditioning: Prospective candidates are advised to keep themselves in good physical condition by following the under mentioned routine :—

• Running : 2 to 4 Km. in 15 minutes
• Skipping
• Pushups & Sit-ups : Minimum 20 each
• Chin ups : Minimum 08
• Rope Climbing : 3 to 4 metres.

Visual Standard

Visual Standards for Army

Male	Female
Vision (corrected) better eye 6/6 and worse eye 6/12	Vision(corrected) better eye 6/6, worse eye 6/12
Myopia of not more than minus 3.5 D	Myopia of not more than minus 5.5 D
Manifest hypermetropia of not more than plus 3.5 D including Astigmatism	Manifest hypermetropia of not more than plus 3.5 D including Astigmatism.

Visual Standards for Navy

• Uncorrected without glass - 6/12
• Corrected with glass - 6/6
• Limits of Myopia - 1.5
• Limits of Hypermetropia +1.5

Visual Standards for Indian Air Force

• One must have 6/6 in one eye and 6/9 in other, which can be correctable to 6/6 only for hypermetropia.
• Near Vision must be N-5 each eye.